Again, to help us prepare our minds for our Christmas celebration of our most blessed President, we will continue to print excerpts from George Washington’s Sacred Fire by Peter Lillback. As I was finishing this 1,179 page volume, I continued to reflect in amazement of this author’s massive compilation of research, but more importantly, of his perseverance in faithfulness to the truth. Thoroughly researched and meticulously presented, Lillback did an excellent job of refuting the slanderous lie that Washington was a deist, but even better yet, he provided ardent admirers (like ourselves) with more of Washington’s writings that most emphatically express his reverence for God. Jon and I love Washington, and so we have devoted a considerable amount of time reading about him, but have yet to read anything that has so thoroughly covered his character and life. This is an absolute must for your family’s library, but more importantly, an absolute necessity for teaching your children about the real George Washington. I just completed reading this book and am now excited about having my children read and discuss it with Jon and me. Unfortunately, I was remiss in failing to print the author’s biography last time—the very man to whom we all owe a great debt of gratitude for this colossal work of bringing truth to light. “Peter A. Lillback, PhD., is the president of The Providence Forum, senior pastor at Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania, and President of Westminster Theological Seminary, where he is also Professor of Historical Theology. Dr. Lillback received a PhD. from Westminster Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, and a B.A. from Cedarville University in Ohio. He is the author of The Binding of God: Calvin’s Role in the Development of Covenant Theology, Freedom’s Holy Light-With a Firm Reliance on Divine Providence, and Proclaim Liberty: A Broken Bell Rings Freedom to the World.”The following comes from Washington’s collection of sermons. This sermon by Reverend Israel Evans, Chaplain to Brigadier General Maxwell of the Western Army was delivered to the officers and soldiers on October 18, 1779 upon their return from a battle with hostile Indians. When reading this to your children, it is important to note the prevailing Christian perspective on Covenant Dominion. “Before I close this discourse, suffer me to remind you of other happy consequences of your success. You have opened a passage into the wilderness, where the Gospel has never yet been received…churches shall rise there, and flourish when perhaps the truths of the Gospel shall be neglected on those eastern shores. For it cannot be supposed, that so large a part of this continent shall for ever continue the haunt of savages, and the dreary abodes of superstition and idolatry. As the Gospel, or Son of righteousness has only glanced on the shores of this western world, and it is predicted of it, that it shall be universally propagated, it will probably like the Sun, travel to the western extremities of this continent. And when men from other nations prompted by Liberty and love of the pure Gospel of truth, shall cross the ocean to this extensive empire, they will here find a safe asylum from persecution and tyranny. How honorable then must your employment appear, when considered in all those points of view. How happy to have been the instruments in the hand of God, for accomplishing so great a revolution, and extending the Kingdom of his Son so far. Liberty, and Religion shall have their wide dominion from the Atlantic through the great continent to the western ocean…promoting the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ…may you more especially be the partakers of all the benefits and happiness, with which Christ will crown his faithful and dutiful Subjects!” Remember that this was presented to the army, both soldiers and officers, who understood their duty as instruments of God’s will for this country. Let us also reflect upon the following revelation: “And when men from other nations prompted by Liberty and love of the pure Gospel of truth, shall cross the ocean to this extensive empire, they will here find a safe asylum from persecution and tyranny.” They truly understood that only Christ brings liberty, and only those who are regulated and directed by His Holy Spirit maintain liberty. “With a love for the pure Gospel of truth” is vastly different from the militant “We were here first” mentality of the immigrants that have recently penetrated our country. A culture and religion antithetical to ours will bring destruction to our country’s biblical foundation. (Please look below under “IMMIGRATION” for information on how to obtain a booklet on this important topic.)Washington so clearly understood the indissoluble bond between liberty and obedience to God’s laws because he knew that in order for a nation to remain free, it must adhere to the requirements of the covenant outlined in Deuteronomy 28. Washington “made the relationship between obedience to God’s eternal rules and human ‘happiness’ most clear to the American people in his First Inaugural Address: ‘…the foundations of our National policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality; and the pre-eminence of a free Government, be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its Citizens, and command the respect of the world. I dwell on this prospect with every satisfaction which an ardent love for my Country can inspire since there is no truth more thoroughly established, than that there exists in the economy and course of nature, an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness, between duty and advantage, between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy, and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity. Since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained: And since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.’”This understanding permeated his writings, including his Thanksgiving proclamation of 1789: “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.” Let us reiterate that George Washington and the vast majority of Americans, and before them the Puritans, and before them the Pilgrims, and before them the Reformers, understood that it was the duty of all nations, not just Christian nations, but all nations “to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God” and “to obey His will.” Since so few people understand this biblical doctrine, we will expound upon it in a future newsletter.Those who sacrificed their honor, lives, and fortunes did so because they understood their responsibility before God, that they were created to honor Him and serve Him all the days of their lives. Again, let us reiterate that they knew that their blessings of liberty came from Jesus Christ, their LORD and Saviour!

“The Service for July 4th was listed as ‘A Form of Prayer and thanksgiving to Almighty God, for the inestimable Blessings of Religious and Civil liberty; to be used yearly Fourth Day of July’ and included the following prayer: ‘O God, whose name is excellent in all the earth, and thy glory above the heavens, who has on this day didst inspire and direct the hearts of our delegates in congress, to lay the perpetual foundations of peace, liberty, and safety; we bless and adore thy glorious Majesty, for this thy loving kindness and providence. And we humbly pray that the devout sense of this signal mercy may renew and increase in us a spirit of love and thankfulness to thee its only author, a spirit of peaceable submission to the laws and government of our country, and a spirit of fervent zeal for our holy religion, which thou hast preserved and secured to us and our posterity. May we improve these inestimable blessings for the advancement of religion, liberty, and science throughout this land, till the wilderness and solitary place be glad through us, and the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose. This we beg through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.’”